Highbury Heritage

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Exciting prospects for Highbury - 

 The recently formed Chamberlain Highbury Trust is planning an event for Heritage Week, September 11th 2016.

Check out their Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ChamberlainHighbury/

Also National Heritage Week details can be found here  -http://www.heritageopendays.org.uk

More details to follow but I've been planning my contribution along the lines of the following (work in progress)

A Heritage Walk
The Oaks of Highbury Park
(evoking the past)

A mapping walk ‘Between the Oaks’ of Highbury, linking the park today to the estate of Joseph Chamberlain and beyond to England in the reign of William III and Mary II.
  • The Oaks in Highbury are the most common of the mature trees on site
  • The oldest tree in the park is Oak (Circa 1693)
  • There is a plantation of Millennium Oaks at Highbury Park planted in 1999-2000
  • The Oak is often reported to support more species than any other UK tree
The walk features trees over a century old that were either in their prime during the early years of the 20th Century or beginning life as mature trees. 
Our oldest tree, ‘the veteran’ is estimated to be over 300 years old and has witnessed the ravages of wind, rain, ice, snow and possibly a lightening strike in the mid 2000’s, together with a range of temperatures anywhere between -20 to 30+ degrees.
There are 7 oaks (over 350 cm in girth) listed in the Highbury Park Veteran Tree Survey thus-
  • Tree No 4, area 3 = 365 cm; Approx 196 years, Circa 1820
  • Tree No 59, area 3 = 370 cm; Approx 197 years, Circa 1819
  • Tree No 74, area 3 =370 cm; Approx 197 years, Circa 1819
  • Tree No 90, area 3 = 427 cm; Approx 246 years, Circa 1770
  • Tree No 251, area 3 = 374 cm; Approx 207 years, Circa 1809
  • Tree No 294, area 4 = 515 cm; Approx 323 years, Circa 1693
  • Tree No 296, area 4 = 417 cm; Approx 235 years, Circa 1781
Joseph Chamberlain lived in Highbury from 1880, therefore all trees over 136 years were present before his residency and the development of the Highbury Estate.
  • 48 Oaks are listed in total; it is the most common of the mature tree species listed on site
  • 20 Oaks over 280cm girth are listed (280cm = approx 136 years)
  • 28 Oaks are less than 136 years (approx 280 cm girth) and therefore began life during or since Chamberlain’s residency at Highbury.
  • The smallest Oak in the survey is 192 cm in girth (approx 90 years old)
  • The largest Oak is 515 cm girth (approx 323 years)
  • 8 Oaks are less than 230 cm girth
A 100 year old Oak growing in open park conditions is around 230-250 cm in girth.
192 cm = 1 Oak
193 - 229 cm = 7 Oaks (>90 years)
230-250 cm = 7 Oaks (>100 years)
251 - 300  cm = 9 Oaks (>115 years)
301 - 350 cm = 13 Oaks (>143 years)
351 - 400 cm = 4 Oaks (>177 years)
> 401 cm = 2 Oaks (>216 years)

> 500 cm = 1 Oak (>310 years)

 Ok there are 4 missing!

 Check out the new Highbury Park Friends website, featuring 2007 tree survey data

http://highburyparkfriends.org.uk

The Highbury Veteran (Circa 1693)

If you want a thorough account of Highbury Heritage refer to these  - 

 These documents can be viewed along with other excellent and informative resources on the Highbury Friends website - see link above












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